VPN will disconnect randomly

Since the improved Bitdefender VPN rollout, VPN will disconnect at random on my Windows 10 laptop. The Windows install is patched to current levels. Bitdefender AV is updated to most current levels. My ISP is not dropping connections.

Sometimes, if I click on 'Connect' in VPN, it will reconnect, but most times, it will not. Changing to a different location sometimes will allow a connection, sometimes not.

Today, 05 June, VPN disconnected with no action on my part. When I was able to reconnect, it appeared no DNS servers were available. The Windows system tray indicated internet access and Bitdefender VPN indicated Connected with an IP address and traffic. However attempts to connect to Google, Bing, Microsoft, Bitdefender community, etc. were met with 'could not find address' errors.

If I switched to Brave VPN, no connection issues. Switched to NordVPN, no connection issues.

One should not have to fiddle with the various protocols from 'Automatic' to make the VPN work.

"Everthing" appears to be working satisfactory at this time, with no changes done on my end.

Why does the current VPN offering appear to be non-stable?

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Alexandru_BD

Hello,

We've been getting quite a few reports on this lately and I know that in some cases error 9 is displayed. Can you check if the connection is stable with the Wireguard protocol? This would be a temporary workaround until the engneers get to the bottom of this.

Thanks,

Alex

WileECoyote

Wireguard worked for a while but today, 07 June, a random disconnect occurred once again. Attempts to reconnect VPN to various servers failed. When I finally got 'automatic' to connect, no DNS servers were apparently found as website addresses would not resolve.

This is not the first time an 'upgraded' module has been released and there were major issues with plain vanilla running.

Perhaps Bitdefender 'engineers' could do more testing before releasing 'upgrades' vs. using the user base as beta testers? Have the 'engineers' work the issue or roll back the upgrade (even though it was stated this is not possible, make it so to keep your customers).

Additionally - for those that are responding with apparent cut and paste solutions to generic VPN issues. Please do not post 'solutions' that have no bearing on the problem reported.

SpudGrower

Similar problem here. My observations are it may be relatated to the crearion of a "Wintun Connection". At least it seemed to follow thism then a lost WiFi connection which requires the BD VPN to be turned off. Alternatively reboot ISP gateway and computer and not allow BD VPN to turn on in order to clear the error. Other devices connected to the same network do not have this provlem, only the Win10 conputer running BD VPN. Win 10 and WiFi drivers are UTD. In fact the disconnection happened while I was writing this .

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

I found out that an update was pushed just recently, and this should fix any disconnecting issues. Currently, there is no available information concerning the changelog, but once further details become available, I will make sure to update the release notes thread as well.

Thank you for your patience.

Regards,

Alex

HomeyD

I'm a new Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus user, and my VPN has been randomly disconnecting several times a day since I started using it. Is this still a known problem?

Alexandru_BD

Hello @HomeyD,

Does this happen on Windows, Mac, Android or iOS?
Check if these articles help:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/35096/

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2099/

If the root cause cannot be identified, I would recommend to contact Bitdefender Support for a more detailed investigation. You can get in touch with the Bitdefender engineers by choosing one of the contact channels listed here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

State your contact reason / choose request category, then choose from the available contact channels, chat, phone and email/ticket. Chat would be the fastest way to reach them.

Let us know how it goes and what worked for you.

Regards,

Alex

HomeyD

I have tickets open with Bitdefender Support. VPN works great on our Android phones, but multiple issues on our Windows laptops, including random disconnections and sites that won't work even with split-tunneling. Uninstall and reinstall didn't help. Waiting for more information from the support folks.

Alexandru_BD

I understand and I'm sorry to hear this. Support should be able to sort this out for you.

For what it's worth, there are a few common causes of Bitdefender VPN errors, but obviously the connectivity issues may not be limited to the below:

No Internet – Make sure your device is connected to the Internet with a fast and stable connection.
Firewall – Check that your firewall isn’t blocking the VPN. If you’re not sure, look in your router’s manual, contact the manufacturer or your Internet provider.
Another VPN or Proxy – If you’re running another VPN or Proxy, disable it when trying to connect.
Public Wi-Fi (like in a hotel, school, or office) – Contact the network administrator to see if they can change the firewall settings and allow the VPN connection.
Port 443 is blocked – Port 443 UDP must be open for Bitdefender VPN to work. Access your router’s settings by typing its IP address into a web browser (refer to your router’s manual if necessary), find “Port Forwarding” or a similar section, and ensure Port 443 with UDP protocol is allowed. Save settings, then restart router and computer.

If you’ve already checked the above reasons why Bitdefender VPN isn’t usually working, then this is a task for the Support teams to investigate in-depth, to find out exactly what is causing these random disconnections you are experiencing.

Regards,

Alex

HomeyD

I don't think it has anything to do with my computer. My wife and I have both been having the same problems, so last night I uninstalled Bitdefender VPN on my laptop and put Proton VPN on it, while leaving Bitdefender on hers. I've been having no connection problems and no website problems, including the sites Bitdefender doesn't like. I'd like to see the support team get to the bottom of these issues, because I don't want to have to pay for a second product, but I guess we'll see.

Alexandru_BD

I get it. The VPN is going through a migration process and this is one of the reasons I advised to contact the Support teams, because in the event something goes wrong, they will know what to do. Also, can you tell me what VPN version do you have? Does it end in a (b) by any chance?

HomeyD

Yes, it's v27.1.3.14(b).

I got an email from the support team this morning asking me to try individually selecting the protocol to see if that helps, and also turning off the ad blocker and anti-tracker. I had already tried Wireguard a few days ago, after finding this discussion, but it didn't help. When my wife is available later this morning, I'll start testing everything else.

Alexandru_BD

Hi,

Alright, let us know how it goes.

HomeyD

I just responded to the support team with some testing results. Here's what I said:

"None of the individual protocols randomly disconnected while she was working on the computer. However, she wasn’t using it for long periods of time, so this may or may not be meaningful.

All of the protocols disconnected when the computer went to sleep, which is normal, but upon waking up, IKEv2 is the only protocol reconnected automatically. The other protocols all displayed a notification that the VPN was disconnected, but they didn’t reconnect. The notification went away very quickly, so it could be easily missed. In addition, all the other protocols allowed her to browse the internet with the VPN disconnected despite the fact that the kill switch is enabled."

At this point, I'm not sure how long I want to wait for them to try to get their product sorted out. When I was looking for a replacement for Norton/Lifelock, my research suggested that we would end up with Bitdefender Ultimate Defense and a separate VPN app, and it looks like that's how it may end up. I'll give them a bit more time, but I need an always-on VPN I can depend on.

SpudGrower

As Clinton said: "I feel your pain." This VPN had been working smoothly until this June. The repeated disconnections stopped, but left me with the issues described after each time the computer wakes from sleep. I also submitted a ticket, uploaded the diagnostic file as instructed, only to get no response from support.

At this point, after every wake cycle, the VPN has to be exited from the notification area, closing the app display does not work. After this the WiFi will automatically self reconnect , as it is intended to do. Then the VPN can be relaunched using the app. This will work until the next sleep/wake cycle. I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you where the glitch is in this cycle. But the shutdown during sleep or auto-connection after power up is clearly not working.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @SpudGrower,

One of my colleagues recently replied to you on the open ticket. Kindly check your inbox and respond, so they can continue troubleshooting.

Thank you,

Alex

SpudGrower

Alex,

Thank you.

Silkyforever

VPN dropping and not reconnecting has been occurring to me ever since the new upgrade. It is very frustrating that in many instances I am not aware that VPN dropped.

Trying to figure this out in the community takes days, weeks, months of research to no avail.

Alexandru_BD

Hi @Silkyforever,

Should you require a faster response, head to the link below to get in touch with the Bitdefender engineers, if the issue you are encountering persists. Trying to figure out connectivity issues for the VPN takes a while because there can be multiple possible causes and VPN configurations, and in some cases troubleshooting requires a more technical approach. It could be related to a previous update, but at the same time it could be related to something else. All symptoms must be considered and also more information is required, such as the OS on which the VPN is running; the affected account; whether the problem occurs on a
specific location or all locations; IP(s) of the affected server(s); VPN app version; if you are using standalone VPN or VPN in BMS (in the event the issue is encountered on mobile devices); whether the problem occurs only on mobile data or only on Wi-Fi or present on both; etc.

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

Regards,

Alex